23 April 2023, before Alnif, 46.84km
Auberge Meteorites dinner-bed-breakfast R1143 [DH600]

We took a dip in this pool at the end of a tough ride, a little under 50km from Tazzarine to the Hotel Meteorites, 15km shy of Alnif.
The N12 here is a mixed bag. Sometimes the tar is so smooth, it makes your tyres hummmm. But mainly it is composed of visible gravel, making for a slightly bumpier ride, slower and a tiny bit harder on bike and body.
Our 294m elevation gain would have been quite easily done were it not for the wind and the heat. These dry your saliva no matter how much water you drink, often to the point of cleaving your tongue to the roof of your mouth. The extreme dryness of the air is also playing havoc with my skin to the point that I have begun to chafe, never ever fun!
It's interesting, though, that you might arrive at your destination gatvol (loosely translated as fed up, though less polite) with your mode of transport and the entire idea of biking Morocco, yet a dip, shower, plate of chips and nap will make you willing to do it all again tomorrow. Adventure, after all, is about being rocked outside your comfort zone.
We took a break in the delightfully named Aït Yahya; we allowed three eager boyz to try out our bikes, subsequently rejecting an offer of tea from their dad; and we met a Dutch couple on a two-week cycle tour. They flew to Marrakech where they picked up their pre-arranged bikes, car and driver. He carries their luggage, drives them up the steepest hills, then goes ahead to purchase a cold beer with which to meet them at their hotel. Now that is biking in style!
I did not take many photos, partly because I was too desperate to reach our hotel, and partly because much of the scenery was less inspiring than it has been.
A last little moan... We are increasingly bugged by flies during the long hot afternoons. They disturb our naps, landing to sip at any moisture they can find.
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Our hotel is a dinner-bed-and breakfast deal. Moroccans always over-cater, this evening serving us four dishes where two would have sufficed: Berber omlette, vegetable tagine, couscous and beef tagine. Yum, yum.